


Rainy days and Wednesdays always get me down

by sunnysideup



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 11:34:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6468640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnysideup/pseuds/sunnysideup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn decides to start a fitness campaign, then it rains and he gets a puncture on his bike.  </p><p>Who drives by?  He does.  Course he does.    A uni!au one shot.   No smut, but swears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rainy days and Wednesdays always get me down

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a prompt to feature these 3 words 'You're all wet'.
> 
> Any spelling/grammar errors etc., are my fault entirely.

It’s just his luck that in the week he decides to start some kind of lunatic campaign to ‘get fit’ that where it had been blazing sunshine for weeks, it’s now on his bike ride home that the heavens decide to open, and that’d be fine, well it’d be annoying but it’d be fine if he was moving but the bit of broken bottle which had got on to the carriageway and punctured the front wheel of his bike had put paid to any movement and he supposes he should be grateful he didn’t end up flying headfirst through the air over the top of his bike and onto the road, he knows this but its pissing down alright and he’s getting soaked and okay, perhaps jeans aren’t the best clothes to cycle in in the first place but they certainly aren’t the best gear to stand still in the pouring rain and when the temperatures decided to drop by ridiculous amounts.

He’s shivering slightly, droplets of rain dropping onto his face from his hair which he’s grown longer lately just so he can tie it up when he wants to and the tiny bit of shelter from the trees is anything but as the wind blows the rain onto him, and as cars speed by, the spray from where the water has collected around the drains flies up into the air and lands on…you guessed it. Him.

All in all he’s pissed off okay? And he’s glancing up to the sky trying to estimate when the rain’ll stop so he has a chance of getting dry so he can start the long walk home with his knackered bike, well a few miles and he can almost hear Niall mocking him ‘4 miles you lazy sod? Man of your age should be able to walk home in less than an hour’ when a car pulls up right by where he’s stood and the window winds down and.

Oh shit. It’s him. He’s seen him around uni for so long, he’s part of his daily routine, seeing that smile across the canteen, the eyes that crinkle and the legs that rise and fall with each moment of laughter. He knows his name, he knows that Niall’s mates with him and he’s tried to introduce them before but Zayn always scarpers when he does, see Liam, cos that’s his name he’s not someone he could ever talk to, have a reasonable conversation with or do anything other than clam up like an idiot when he so much as comes within 2 feet of him.

You see Liam is a music tech student, who happens to sing in a band, and is in about 25 uni clubs, okay maybe an exaggeration, maybe more like 23, and he’s funny and he’s popular and he’s everything that Zayn isn’t and never wants to be thanks very much. Liam is also someone who’s winding down the window of his warm, cosy and even better, DRY, car right now and smiling that smile and even as Zayn sets his face to his customary scowl, something makes his pulse quicken a bit.

See Liam is all of the above which is bad enough, but he’s also what some may call, you know if pushed, and he’s definitely not one of them okay?, fucking amazing looking. He’s all light brown hair, chocolate brown eyes that dance with delight and warmth when he’s happy and Liam deserves to be happy all the time you know so says Niall anyway, and the hint of facial hair which he’s decided to grow this term and he hates facial hair on anyone but himself as a rule but it suits Liam more than anyone he’s ever seen with it and he’s got the cutest nose and the hair that’s growing out the buzz cut and starting to display the natural curl and if that’s not bad and devastating and distracting enough, he has the most incredible body not that Zayn has noticed much but well at least 2 of the clubs he’s member of are sports clubs and it shows, and it especially shows right now as his arms hold the steering wheel, and the Henley fits him so well and the muscles which aren’t overly developed, they’re just perfect, and then his legs are muscular but again it’s not something he thinks about often alright, and what, hang on, is that his mouth moving?

’-yn, you okay?‘ is what he catches him saying before he repeats himself now he has Zayn’s full attention.

‘Zayn, are you okay?’ and goddamit he even looks a bit concerned. And wait a minute, he knows his name?

‘Am fine’ he responds before he can even engage his brain to respond like a normal sensible completely drenched and in need of warmth and not being at risk of getting triple pneumonia thanks person.

For just a second, and it’s so fast that he’s sure he wasn’t meant to see it, Liam’s lips tighten at the sides and his eyes roll slightly and he’s sure he hears him mutter a swear word under his breath but its replaced by the customary Liam smile straight after.

‘Drop the too cool for school act for a moment eh Malik, look at you, you’re all wet’

And Zayn looks down at himself and across at his bike, the bike which isn’t one of the lightweight fold up ones Niall suggested he got but some heavyweight durable effort that given he’ll probably never cycle again after this experience makes him stubbornness look even more ridiculous than normal, and well yeah, but wait, too cool for school? 

He says it aloud apparently as Liam starts to chuckle.

‘Don’t act so surprised Zayn, you may fool some people with that gorgeous brooding stranger act but you don’t fool me, now stop being a twat and get here in the dry and we’ll put your bike on the roof and I’ll fix it when we get back to halls, okay?’

He’s aware that his mouth is doing a wonderful impression of a goldfish right now but he can’t bring himself to speak, mouth suddenly dry and not only does Liam know his name but apparently he think he’s gorgeous and he also gives enough of a damn to want him not to get wet, and not only that but he’s also the first person since Niall to see through the whole barrier he’s put up to protect himself against disappointment and people around him letting him down and yet these are the first words they’ve exchanged since, well, ever.

He’s aware his name is being called again and when he shakes himself and meets Liam’s eyes, there’s no trace of anything other than concern and he’s undoing his seat belt and jumping out the car before Zayn can stop him and then he’s right there in front of him, just that little bit taller, just that little bit wider, just that little bit more amazing up close.

He feels one of Liam’s hands on his right arm, eyes boring into him, weighing him up before he drops it apparently satisfied that he’s not going to drop dead in front of him and then he’s moving past him, bending down to pick up the bike and as he does water drips from it and then he lifts it and carries it to where Zayn is and then stops and says ‘Hold onto it for a minute ‘kay?’

And then he’s moving to his boot and removing the ties for the roof rack from it and slamming the boot shut before he takes the bike from Zayn and hands him the ties instead, before he lifts up the bike and puts it on the roof as easily as it were a pint of milk, never mind a stupid far too heavy bike and then at Liam’s nod Zayn hands the ties to him and he secures it in several places, tugging at the ties to make sure they’re secure and nodding to himself when he’s happy they are.

And then he’s opening his door but before he gets in, he peers at Zayn over the roof and says simply ‘Get in Zayn’

It doesn’t even occur to Zayn to argue and he gets in, tossing his day sac onto the floor of the seat well and then reaching behind him for the seatbelt as Liam turns the keys in the ignition and a familiar sound comes from the speakers, and despite himself he smiles and nods along to the music. Drake. Of course life is never fair and Liam would have to get that bit more perfect.

They pull away, Liam plays with a few controls and warm air blows out from the vent in front of Zayn and slowly but surely, the sogginess fades.

They say nothing, but Liam’s tapping out a rhythm on the steering wheel and singing softly to himself and it’s no surprise that it’s a nice sound, and before he can help himself he starts to mumble along as well till his voice clears from a mumble and he doesn’t know why but he feels comfortable and their voices don’t actually sound that bad, and well it’s not hard but it’s an infinite improvement on Niall’s choice of The Eagles or McFly any day and he exchanges a quick smile with Liam.

Liam’s glancing down at Zayn’s bag and he grins. ‘How many times you seen it then?’

Zayn’s eyebrows crease together in confusion ‘You what?’

‘Batman v Superman’ and well yeah Zayn’s got several badges on his bag so duh and he’s not sure if Liam’s taking the piss out of him so he errs on the side of caution.

‘Twice’

Liam does a little fist pump at that and exclaims a happy ‘Beat ya’ and then at Zayn’s confused expression says hurriedly. ‘I mean I’ve seen it 12 times so far, and going again tonight, its ace though I still love Bale’s Batman better than anything’

And Zayn finds himself nodding along and muttering ‘Yeah agreed, he’s sick man’ and then before he can stop himself he blurts out.

‘Seen it 15 times, and yeah am going tonight too, dragging Niall along finally’

Liam looks a bit triumphant for some reason and he’s beaming. ‘That’s cool man, always knew that underneath that exterior of stone, lived a nerd to rival me’ and then adds softly so Zayn has to strain to hear it.

‘Who do you think bought the Batman artwork you did during that exhibition you did in the second term?’

Zayn’s eyes flash across to Liam. ‘That was you?’ 

Liam smiles across at him, and his cheeks are slightly flushed as if in embarrassment. ‘I’m your number 1 fan Zed’

Zed. The name he puts on all his artwork. And he feels a little dizzy, but it’s not a bad dizzy, at the revelation. 

‘Hope I haven’t freaked you out’ and Liam’s eyes are back to displaying that concern again, the worry that should never exist in his eyes and Zayn shakes his head and just says.

‘No’ and then ‘Never’ and he doesn’t know why but he reaches his hand out to Liam’s arm that’s closest to him and it feels like an electric shock as he does but Liam doesn’t shrug him away, instead he meets Zayn’s eyes for a moment before his attention turns back to the road and all Zayn sees is what he feels sure is what Liam sees in his. Warmth and out of nowhere, the promise of something else?

He drops his hand, resting it on his own lap and as the sun starts to shine and the rain ceases, they spend the rest of the journey in silence, the only sound Liam’s fingertips drumming on the wheel as Drake continues to sing.

**

It takes Liam just 5 minutes to fix the puncture in his wheel, 5 minutes where Zayn takes in every part of him, enjoys the banter as they discuss which superhero they’d be if they had to be and Liam rolls his eyes good naturedly and concedes defeat as Zayn wins their rock, paper, scissors best of 3 to decide who’s Batman.

And then Liam’s stood up and wiping his hands and lifting up the bike, declaring a job well done and Zayn’s honestly got a good mind to find a bit of glass to puncture the wheel again so this time doesn’t have to end but he doesn’t.

Instead he takes the bike from Liam and climbs onto it. And yes he should just thank Liam and then cycle off and then tomorrow in uni, he’ll see him at lunchtime again and he’ll scowl when he glances in his direction and he’ll just remember this time when he’s old and grey and wonder and he’s bit of a sappy so and so really. 

Thank goodness Liam is also sappy but also decisive but he’s also apparently a little bit awkward as his hand reaches to the back of his neck, scratching at it and as he starts to talk, red rises up from his neck to his face and his cheeks.

‘So, um, which cinema you seeing BvS at tonight then, you know just in case we bump into each other?’

‘Onyx retail park’ he replies, and he crosses his fingers mentally if not actually ‘You?’

Liam nods. ‘Same, best student discounts and snacks innit?’

Zayn grins. ‘Yeah’

‘Which showing?’ says Liam and Zayn knows this is where the moment gets lost, cos well no one else has Niall they’re going with and Niall who can’t get off work till 11pm so they had to choose the half 11 showing.

So he says it with resignation but Liam’s eyes light up. 

‘Same, cos well it’s the best time to go and pick the best spot in the cinema and not be besieged by spotty noisy teenagers’ and then he adds swiftly ‘well apparently’

And he’s right and he doesn’t trust himself to say anything else right now and he shouldn’t be on this bike cos he’s sure it’s not designed to do celebratory wheelies and he’s not 15 anymore and he tries not to get distracted by Liam’s lips as they quirk up and this promise of something else that’s sprung from what, a broken bottle, and a puncture and a shedload of rain and some kindness.

So instead he mutters what he hopes is a non-committal ‘maybe see you later then’ but he knows it sounds too hopeful and then he’s cycling away before he can do something he regrets but not before he hears.

‘I’m counting on it Zed’

And if he does one celebratory wheelie as he turns the corner and leaves Liam’s sight, no one needs to know, right?


End file.
